Various bracing pads for supporting the corner posts of a fence or the intermediate posts in a line of fence posts are known as exemplified in various United States patents. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 781,537 to Lower, Jan. 31, 1905; U.S. Pat. No. 1,504,494 to Parsons, Aug. 12, 1924; U.S. Pat. No. 1,981,447 to Clark, Nov. 20, 1934 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,199,518 to Coleman, May 7, 1940, show corner post braces that are designed to hold these posts erect against the tension of the fencing. The first two of these patents show bearing supports positioned in the soil some distance from the corner post along the line of the fence, the bearing means being positioned vertically in the soil to support a brace carried at one end on the post and on the other end on the bearing. The second two of these patents show no more than stakes driven into the ground to support braces that lie in the plane of the fencing. The bearing area supplied by such stake-like bearing supports provides only a minimum of exposed area to support the braces and could not sustain the loads for which the bracing means of the present invention is likely to be subjected in the environment in which it is adapted to be used.
Bracing means to support posts in line along a fence are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 26,727 to Kimball, July 25, 1882; U.S. Pat. No. 774,099 to Narsh, Nov. 1, 1904 and 852,421 to Davis, May 7, 1907. Kimball shows a brace with an integral foot that serves as a bearing means adapted to be driven vertically in the ground.
U.S. Pat. No. 453,148 to Kiler et al, May 26, 1891; U.S. Pat. No. 994,742 to Gregory, June 13, 1911 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,334,867 to Wenaas, Aug. 8, 1967, all show bracing means disposed between adjacent posts in a fence wherein the braces are strung from the top of one post to the bottom of an adjoining post. Tightening means are provided and thus in Kiler et al, guy wire E' is provided including a turnbuckle. Gregory provides tensioned wire strands to hold his posts erect and Wenaas shows diagonal bracking bolted into place between posts that are the correct distance from each other.
U.S. Pat. 2,199,518 to Coleman, May 7, 1940, shows a pipe means having one end flattened and bent at a right angle to the length of the pipe that can be buried in the ground to form a brace for a fence post. Apparently the brace and post of this disclosure are assembled together and then they are anchored in the ground.